This Map Shows the Average Income in Every State—and What It's Really Worth

Geography can transform a paycheck. That is: How much your wages are actually worth depends largely on where you live.

On some level, everyone understands that—even if you don’t have a firm grasp on precisely how far a $50,000 salary would go in California, compared with, say, Ohio. MONEY set out to find the answer, meshing average income data with a cost of living measurement for each state.

We pulled average pay for each state, based on 2015 median household income from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Then we adjusted those figures based on each state’s 2015 “regional price parity”—a calculation by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that shows how much a certain amount of cash will buy you in a given place.

The higher the price parity number for a given state, the more residents will pay for items such as housing, food, and transportation. The BEA calculates this by looking at the price of goods and services in the Consumer Price Index, as well as rents reported to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. A price parity figure of 118.8, like Hawaii’s, means that goods and services there cost almost 19% more than the national average. Prices in Mississippi, meanwhile, with a price parity of 86.2, are about 14% less than the national average.

NOTE: Real pay values based on the 2015 median household incomes in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and the 2015 regional price parity from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Living expenses tend to cluster by region. The Northeast is comparatively more expensive than much of the Southeast, for example. But there are considerable differences even among states that are neighbors. In Illinois, for example, the real value of $1,000 is $1,003. In next-door Indiana and Missouri, that rises to $1,103 and $1,120, respectively, since those are lower-cost states.

In some states, such as Delaware, there’s little difference between the median household income and how much it can purchase locally. Delaware has a price parity (100.4) that’s nearly in line with the national average (which gets indexed to 100). But in other areas, such as North Dakota or Massachusetts, the price parity calculation can either add or subtract thousands from an average earner’s spending power.

A few notes: Household income doesn’t count non-cash benefits and doesn’t account for property or personal income taxes, other deductions, or Social Security—so it’s not the same as take-home pay. The cost of living and average income can also vary considerably within a state, so your state’s real salary may not reflect what workers in a specific city earn or pay to live.

Here are the median household incomes, regional price comparisons, and real salary values in each U.S. state.

Alabama

Median household income: $44,765

Regional price parity out of 100: 86.8

Real income: $51,573

Alaska

Median household income: $73,355

Regional price parity out of 100: 105.6

Real income: $69,465

Arizona

Median household income: $51,492

Regional price parity out of 100: 96.2

Real income: $53,526

Arkansas

Median household income: $41,995

Regional price parity out of 100: 87.4

Real income: $48,049

California

Median household income: $64,500

Regional price parity out of 100: 113.4

Real income: $56,878

Colorado

Median household income: $63,909

Regional price parity out of 100: 103.2

Real income: $61,927

Connecticut

Median household income: $71,346

Regional price parity out of 100: 108.7

Real income: $65,636

Delaware

Median household income: $61,255

Regional price parity out of 100: 100.4

Real income: $61,011

District of Columbia

Median household income: $75,628

Regional price parity out of 100: 117

Real income: $64,639

Florida

Median household income: $49,426

Regional price parity out of 100: 99.5

Real income: $49,674

Georgia

Median household income: $51,244

Regional price parity out of 100: 92.6

Real income: $55,339

Hawaii

Median household income: $73,486

Regional price parity out of 100: 118.8

Real income: $61,857

Idaho

Median household income: $48,275

Regional price parity out of 100: 93.4

Real income: $51,686

Illinois

Median household income: $59,588

Regional price parity out of 100: 99.7

Real income: $59,767

Indiana

Median household income: $50,532

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.7

Real income:$55,713

Iowa

Median household income: $54,736

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.3

Real income: $60,616

Kansas

Median household income: $53,906

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.4

Real income: $59,631

Kentucky

Median household income: $45,215

Regional price parity out of 100: 88.6

Real income: $51,033

Louisiana

Median household income: $45,727

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.6

Real income:$50,471

Maine

Median household income: $51,494

Regional price parity out of 100: 98

Real income: $52,545

Maryland

Median household income: $75,847

Regional price parity out of 100: 109.6

Real income: $69,203

Massachusetts

Median household income: $70,628

Regional price parity out of 100: 106.9

Real income: $66,069

Michigan

Median household income: $51,084

Regional price parity out of 100: 93.5

Real income: $54,635

Minnesota

Median household income: $63,488

Regional price parity out of 100: 97.4

Real income: $65,183

Mississippi

Median household income: $40,593

Regional price parity out of 100: 86.2

Real income: $47,092

Missouri

Median household income: $50,238

Regional price parity out of 100: 89.3

Real income: $56,258

Montana

Median household income: $49,509

Regional price parity out of 100: 94.8

Real income: $52,225

Nebraska

Median household income: $54,996

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.6

Real income: $60,702

Nevada

Median household income: $52,431

Regional price parity out of 100: 98

Real income: $53,501

New Hampshire

Median household income: $70,303

Regional price parity out of 100: 105

Real income: $66,955

New Jersey

Median household income: $72,222

Regional price parity out of 100: 113.4

Real income: $63,688

New Mexico

Median household income: $45,382

Regional price parity out of 100: 94.4

Real income: $48,074

New York

Median household income: $60,850

Regional price parity out of 100: 115.3

Real income: $52,775

North Carolina

Median household income: $47,830

Regional price parity out of 100: 91.2

Real income: $52,445

North Dakota

Median household income: $60,557

Regional price parity out of 100: 92.3

Real income: $65,609

Ohio

Median household income: $51,075

Regional price parity out of 100: 89.2

Real income: $57,259

Oklahoma

Median household income: $48,568

Regional price parity out of 100: 89.9

Real income: $54,024

Oregon

Median household income: $54,148

Regional price parity out of 100: 99.2

Real income: $54,585

Pennsylvania

Median household income: $55,702

Regional price parity out of 100: 97.9

Real income: $56,897

Rhode Island

Median household income: $58,073

Regional price parity out of 100: 98.7

Real income: $58,838

South Carolina

Median household income: $47,238

Regional price parity out of 100: 90.3

Real income: $52,312

South Dakota

Median household income: $53,017

Regional price parity out of 100: 88.2

Real income: $60,110

Tennessee

Median household income: $47,275

Regional price parity out of 100: 89.9

Real income: $52,586

Texas

Median household income: $55,653

Regional price parity out of 100: 96.8

Real income: $57,493

Utah

Median household income: $62,912

Regional price parity out of 100: 97

Real income: $64,858

Vermont

Median household income: $56,990

Regional price parity out of 100: 101.6

Real income: $56,093

Virginia

Median household income: $66,262

Regional price parity out of 100: 102.5

Real income: $64,646

Washington

Median household income: $64,129

Regional price parity out of 100: 104.8

Real income: $61,192

West Virginia

Median household income: $42,019

Regional price parity out of 100: 88.9

Real income: $47,265

Wisconsin

Median household income: $55,638

Regional price parity out of 100: 93.1

Real income: $59,762

Wyoming

Median household income: $60,214

Regional price parity out of 100: 96.2

Real income: $62,593

This story has been updated to clarify that household income figures for each state are median household income, and to correct an error in the map graphic and North Dakota’s median household income.

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